Let your imagination soar! Be an astronaut, rescue pilot, construction worker, actor, and more in The Strong’s original, permanent Imagination Destination exhibit. Role-play in
Four Dolls, Three Bears, Two Bunnies, and One Plastic Guy: Books about Play Pals
As Director of Libraries at The Strong, I acquire scholarly books on the study of play for the Brian Sutton-Smith Library & Archives of Play. Although tracking down weighty
The History of Black Barbies: From Playthings to Liberation
Aria S. Halliday, 2019 Strong Research Fellow Assistant Professor, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH On my first visit to The Strong National Museum of Play in February
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Seven Things Learned in Five Days in January
I arrived at The Strong National Museum of Play near the end of January 2024 with nine days to spare to submit a book manuscript and a Research Fellowship lasting just five days.
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Toxic Times: The NIMBY Satirical Board Game
1989 was the year of the Basel Convention, officially named the Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and Their Disposal. An international
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Household Cryptids: Infiltrators or Celebrated Guests?
Let’s talk about cryptids. According to the Cambridge Dictionary, a cryptid is “a creature that is found in stories and that some people believe exists or say they have seen, but
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Cute as Button
For as long as I can remember, I have been fascinated by buttons. Often small and unassuming, these objects may blend into their surroundings and often go largely unnoticed. And
Domestic Hobbies: The Fight for Community in the Face of Isolation and Injustice
Domestic hobbies scratch the play itch—the need for creative expression and for losing yourself in the flow of an activity. In my previous blog, I addressed the therapeutic nature
Fun with Video Game Versions of Archaeology
Temple Run, an iPhone game, was recently the rage at my son’s school, so he downloaded it to my phone. It’s a basic survival game in which the player, an explorer, flees with the
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Volume 6, Number 1
Welcome to the American Journal of Play special issue on topics in the cognitive psychology of play, another in our series of theme issues that will appear from time to time. Each special issue begins with an…
Volume 17, Number 2
This issue of the American Journal of Play begins with an interview of artist and designer Jay Beckwith. He discusses his career creating play equipment, playgrounds, and play experiences. Also in this issue, Miguel Sicart…
Volume 12, Number 2
This issue of the American Journal of Play goes to press amid a global pandemic that has changed the ways in which many of us and our families and friends play. It is fitting then…
